For ideas for the interior of a hamster cage, visit the "home-made hamster toys" page.

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Hamster Cage Layouts

I have gone through so many hamster cage layouts in the past few years that I may as well share them with others. Below are some cage layouts and ideas that I have collected from actual experience creating and maintaining various layouts. There is also some tips for you to consider if you decide to create or customise your own hamster or other small rodent's cage.

 2 Layer Containers With Attic and Tubes

The mesh lids: Above is the present layout that I have for my hamster, Dolores J. Tinkleman. I used two small bin containers with clear sides and white lids to create this, along with a few hamster bought accessories that I had lying around from previous layouts. To create the meshed lid I cut a hole in the middle of the lid then measured the dimensions and created a net with wire mesh. I cut it out and assembled it on top of the cage lid, fastening the edges by sewing metal wire in the gaps of the mesh. I made sure to leave some flaps at the bottom of the mesh lid so that holes could be drilled into the remaining plastic lid and nuts and bolts could be used to fasten it securely. The fact that the mesh goes higher than the original lid of the container gives the hamster more space and also a bit of a climbing frame.

Getting between floors: To get between the cages, Dolores uses a tube connected each floor. I cut a hole in the bottom of the top cage and one in the top of the mesh on the bottom cage. I then put a tube going through the hole with a lock on the top to keep it from falling. Dolores steps on to a little container that she plays with inside of her bottom cage to reach the tube and climb up to to the 2nd floor. I used the same idea with the attic, though that only required making a hole in the wire mesh.

The door: With this setup I had to make a new door cage so that I could access the hamster from any cage that she was in. I did by cutting a hole in the mesh then sewing a metal rod to the top of the door using metal wire. This meant that Dolores could never push open the door no matter how much she tried. I then attached an old curtain hook to the middle of the door so that I can easily reach the door when it is pushed in towards the cage. To securely close the door a piece of metal wire is put through the curtain hook and hooked through a smalled drilled hole in the plastic area of the lid then twisted together. If you ever use this design make sure that you soften the edges of the metal mesh before you let your hamster in, such as putting thick insulation tape around the edges.

The tubes: A set of habitrail tubes runs around the sides and back of the bottom cage. To do this I cut a hole the size of the tube on both sides of the cage and placed a 3 way tube into the hole then fastened it to another one inside the cage with a tube lock. Using a 3 way connector at the ends of the tubes means that you can add a clear tube stop on each end so then you can watch your hamster crawl through their tubes head on.

The wheel: Seeing as the highest part of the cages is the wire mesh and this is indented from the rest of the lid, I couldn't just attach a wheel to the sides of the plastic cage. Therefore I came up with an alternative solution by taking some wire bars from an old cage and sewing it to the wire meshed lid with metal wire. I then attached the wheel to the bars, and it works perfectly.

The following are some tips for when you are designing your new hamster cage layout:

•  Try converting an old glass fish tank into a cage. Scrub it down, disinfect it then create a wire mesh lid.
•  Make sure that the metal mesh that you use has holes not too big so that the hamster can fit their mouth through and bite. Also make sure it is strong enough.
•  Try taking a huge container and adding old parts of cages to it with metal wire and other tools.
•  If you can afford the sawdust give your hamster a treat by filling a deep glass or clear plastic container with sawdust then hiding tubes and toys deep inside the sawdust.
•  Look at some home-made hamster toys ideas.
•  If you don't want to make your own mesh lid, you can purchase lids from some pet stores for certain size containers.
•  Use insulation tape on sharp metal edges stuck firmly. If your hamster chews on it though, remove and seek other ideas.
•  Avoid having wood surfaces because they stain easily and can not be disinfected.
•  Look in 2nd hand stores for household items that can be used as toys such as curtain hooks connected together, hanging from the ceiling.
•  Use tubes to connect cages vertically to give the hamster the illusion of going in underground.
•  Avoid using Crittertrail brand tubes for a Syrian hamster's cage. They are too small for a Syrian adult.